


Paranormal and Supernatural

by Aceresa



Category: Banana Bus Squad
Genre: Demons, Ghosts, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Monsters, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Paranormal Investigators, Spirits, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2020-07-11 23:09:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19936039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aceresa/pseuds/Aceresa
Summary: There are many things in this world that could be explained with a scientific and logical answer. The door shut on its own? It was the wind! The bowl fell and shattered with no one around? Gravity! Random screams in the abandoned castle? Teenagers, am I right?Someone's best friend has a ghost that can cook and carry them to their bedroom during their sleepover?It was their imagination, duh!Or was it...?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to this mess of a story. Been meaning to post this up, but it's a bit... eh. The title might not stay the same?? Not sure on that one. All I can say is have fun reading this. 
> 
> Also, don't expect frequent updates. Just expect random updates. I usually work on this story when I have free time or when I have motivation. Just saying :D

Dark luminous clouds rumbled as rain pelted the leaves of the tall trees of the thick forest. The river currents rapidly crashed against the surrounding area as it overflowed with over six inches of rain. A young boy of the age of five sobbed as he crouched inside a hollow tree in the middle of the forest. He covered his ears with his hands and shut his eyes tight as thunder boomed nearby. His black hair was plastered to his face and he was drenched to the bone.  
  
"M-mommy... Daddy... Where are you? I'm- I'm scared! Someone, please... Help me..." His cries were drowned out as the storm continued to rampage. A loud snap resounded from outside the tree as someone stepped on a stick.  
  
"Are you okay?" The unknown person asked as the child looked up. He couldn't see the person clearly because his vision was blurred by the tears pouring down his face. "C' mon. Let's get you back home."  
  
The child nodded, not wanting to let his only chance of getting home slip out of his hands. He felt the person picking him up and he buried his face into their shoulder. The person held him tight as he began to make his way through the forest. The boy had passed out sometime after being found and found himself sleeping on his bed when he woke up. He went downstairs and was met with relieved parents who hugged him tightly.  
  
"Where were you?! You were gone for nearly 3 days!" His mother asked him hugging him as if he would disappear the next moment.  
  
"I was lost in the forest. It was raining and dark... I was scared! But then a nice man found me! He brought me home. I fell asleep on the way... Is he still here? I want to say thank you to him!" The child explained only to be met with confused expressions.  
  
"Son, we didn't even know you were at home. We couldn't find you anywhere after getting home from the camping trip. You suddenly appeared today." His father softly said as they all sat on the couch in the living room.  
  
"But... The man?"  
  
"There isn't anybody around for miles, dear. They couldn't be out here in the middle of nowhere, less so in the middle of the forest."  
  
The family couldn't figure out what exactly happened to the young boy when he went missing, but the parents had made arrangements to move out into a more urbanized area to avoid any more incidents like that from happening the night before the family headed out, the young boy caught a glimpse of the man who had helped him standing in the backyard. The boy smiled as he ran out onto the back porch and waved to the man. Being an innocent child he was, he didn't question the fact that the man hid his face from view. He pats the small child on his head as the boy thanked him for rescuing him.  
  
"My parents said that we have to move because it's too dangerous here..." The child explained sitting on the bench with the stranger. The stranger seemed to tense at his statement before nodding. The child yawned and fell asleep while leaning on the stranger. The man sat still for a moment before gathering the child into his arms and went to put him in his bed.  
  
The next morning, the family headed out to their new home. What they didn't see was the shadow who tailed after them. Red lips smiled as they watched the young boy sleep in the back seat of the car.  
  
"I'll protect you. I promised _him_ after all..."


	2. ~•1•~ The Squad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a group of friends trying to make money off of hunting the unseen and unknown.

"I'm borrrrred!" A man with a red hoodie said as his partners rolled their eyes.

"This is what happens when you decide to do a job in which people don't believe in, Luke." Another man said wearing a panda hoodie. The last man laughed at Luke's reaction to what the other said.

"Oh, come on! Not you too Brian!"

"What Anthony says is true though. You have to admit it." Said the newest person in the room.

"When did you get here, Brock?" Brian asked as the colorful man placed down a tray with four cups.

"Just now. I decided to come over after school today because I heard a pretty weird story from my friend. You remember Evan, right?"

"Yeah! It's that nerdy, buff, and nice Asian dude, right?" Anthony asked. Luke nodded as he recognized the description. Evan had come in one day with Brock and hung out with them for the day. Every once in awhile he would come back bringing food or some kind of story to them.

"Yeah. There's a rumor going around that he's being haunted. My friend Tyler told me this morning since he had a sleepover at Evan's place.

"Really!? What happened?" Luke asked getting excited at the chance of a new job.

"He said that he kept seeing a shadow of a person standing in the corner of whatever room they were in. Then he said that every time Evan looked in the shadow's general direction, it would disappear and appear in a different corner where Evan wasn't looking."

"A shadow person? We haven't had that kind in a while now..." Brian whispered as he listened intently to the story.

"That's not all either. Apparently, Evan tried to cook food that night. He got a phone call and forgot to turn off the stove when he went to pick it up. Tyler saw the knob of the stove turn itself off. Tyler didn't think too much of it until he saw different food items being put into the pot that was still on the stove. Right as Evan returned, the stove turned on again and the pot had been stirred. He said that Evan didn't even notice any of it."

"Sounds like this ghost is pretty friendly since it helped make food?" Anthony questioned unsure of what to describe the ghost as so far. Brock shook his head before going on.

"It wasn't until they were sitting on the couch watching movies that things started to get weird. Ironic that they were watching a ghost movie and all that. Evan was falling asleep because as Tyler quotes 'It was so effing boring' when the shadow figure before appeared behind him. Tyler freaked out and threw a pillow at it only for the pillow to hit Evan. Evan was confused before throwing the pillow back at him and yawning. He got himself comfortable before falling asleep. Then that's when it happened. Tyler swears that if he ever came over again that he would record it and show Evan he wasn't delusional.

The shadow appeared next to Evan and picked him up. Pillow and blanket too. It looked at Tyler before heading to Evan's bedroom where the door locked after it closed. Tyler felt offended that it locked the door, but decided to sleep it off. The next morning he found himself covered in a blanket and laying on a pillow in a makeshift bed on the ground instead of the couch."

"It seems as though we have a friendly ghost. What's the problem?" Luke asked.

"Evan told us that he and his parents were going on a winter trip to their old summer house this year. Evan also told us a story about when he was 5 when he lived in the manor. He said he couldn't remember it well, but he had gotten lost in the forest and was apparently missing for a few days. He was taken back by a man and woke up in his bed. His parents, on the other hand, said that he was missing for three days and appeared out of nowhere from the stairs. They were also adamant that there couldn't have been anyone else around since they lived in the middle of nowhere."

"That's true... Why would someone just appear in the middle of a forest to help a child home? Unless..." Brian trailed off looking at everyone else in the room.

"It wasn't a person."

A moment of silence passed before Brock's phone started to ring. He picked it up and glanced at the other three before answering.

"Hey, Evan! What's going on, bud?" He said putting the phone call on speaker.

 **"Hey, Brock! I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come with me on my winter trip. I already asked Tyler and his parents agreed to let him go. So, how about it?"** Evan asked.

"Uh, let me check in with my parents real quick... Oh! They said that I could go if I really wanted to. So I guess that means I'm going."

**"That's great! Pack enough stuff for 2 weeks. We're going to have a great time!"**

"Ah wait, Evan-"

**"Hmm?"**

"Do you mind if Luke, Brian, and Anthony come with us?"

**"...I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind, but... Is it because of what I told you what happened when I was 5?"**

"Well, that and because they wanted to spend time out of the city. They haven't gotten many jobs after all..."

**"Uhhh... Let me ask real quick." A moment of silence passed as the four waited. "They said they can come. Tell them to pack for 2 weeks!"**

"Alright, Evan. See you tomorrow." The call cut off as Brock hung up. He looked at the other three and smiled.

"Ready to figure this mystery out?" The other three smiled and they all put their hands together before raising them and cheering.


	3. ~•2•~ The Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys arrive at the Fong's summer house, but odd and strange things are happening. Also, what's this diary doing here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not entirely sure how to input pictures, but I'll give it a try. If I don't like how it turns out, I'll just remove pictures lol

"Alright, boys. Here are the rules. Don't burn down the house. Don't mess around in the study rooms. Don't bring food or drinks, except water, into rooms with carpet. And finally, don't for the love of God go into the forest. That's all. Have a fun 2 weeks. We'll be back to pick you all up and bring you back." Evan's parents told all six of them before driving off to their hometown. Evan smiled as he looked around the well-kept manor in nostalgia. He looked to the others as they stared in awe.

"Your family owns this manor? This looks like something from a freaking game!" Brian exclaimed. The others nodded in agreement as Evan rolled his eyes at them. He led them upstairs to where the bedrooms were. They all picked their rooms nearby to where Evan's was. He went to his own bedroom and looked around the childish room with drawings on the wall and stuffed animals and books scattered on the ground. He set down his briefcase and went to the window. He looked out at the cloudy sky that overlooked the condense forest. He blinked as he looked down at the backyard at a shadow that ducked behind the tree.

"Evan! Where are the bathrooms?" Luke asked poking his head into the room. Evan rubbed his eyes before shrugging it off as a trick of the light. He turned and led the other 5 around the house so they don't get lost during their stay here.

"There's about 10 bathrooms in total; five for each floor. But let's start downstairs first. There's the front entrance, as you know, and to the right of it is the living room and a roundabout way to some bathrooms. There's also a door that leads to the garden. On the left of the foyer is the way to the dining room and kitchen. It's also the way to the backyard where there's a porch, pool, and tree swing.

**(I tried lololol)**

Then when you head upstairs, there's the general play and hang out area. To the right are the master bedroom and other bigger rooms. At the end of the hall is the bathroom. The left side is completely guest rooms and guest bathrooms. That's really all there is. I don't actually think all the guest rooms are bedrooms. I'm pretty sure there are a gym and storage over there. Not entirely sure since I haven't been here forever.

"So, if you have any other questions I'll be in my room unpacking. You should get unpacked too. It's already 5 in the evening, so dinner will be soon." Evan smiled as he looked to the others.

"Who's going to be cooking?" Luke asked looking around. Brock was probably the only one who knows who to cook and not burn the house down. Brian was a big no-no when it came to the kitchen. Anthony usually orders out and from what everyone heard from Tyler, Evan is too careless.

Unless a certain ghost followed them.

"I vote Brock," Tyler said giving a look to everyone but Evan. They all nodded in agreement before heading off to their own rooms.

Luke stretched as he finished putting away the last of his equipment. He looked out the window and was shocked at how bright it was for being this late at night. He stood by the window and looked out to where the forest started. Evan's parents had already told them not to go in the dense and dangerous forest, but he couldn't help but be curious at to what went down that fateful day when Evan was 5. As he continued to stare at the forest, he caught a slight movement in the backyard from the corner of his eye. Narrowing his eyes, he glanced at the entirety of the area and was positive he saw a man in a blue jacket standing near the porch entrance.

He shook his head and looked back to the same spot. There was no one there. Luke swore he saw something. He wasn't going to go home without solving this mystery.

Everyone met up in the dining room where Brock and Evan were setting up the table. Brock seemed unnerved about something as Evan chuckled at his friend's anxiousness.

"I'm serious Brock, you probably saw an animal or something that managed to get into the backyard. There's plenty of squirrels and rabbits out there that can fit through the fencing." Evan said trying to calm the freshman college student.

"No, Evan. I swear to God it was a person. I can't just mistake a wild animal for a human." Brock stammered as he glanced at the door connected to the backyard porch.

"Was he wearing a blue hoodie? If that's the case, then I saw him too." Luke said as he took a seat next to a nervous Anthony.

"We're in the middle of a forest in the middle of nowhere. How do you expect a person to be out here? The nearest town is more than a hundred miles away." Evan sighed taking his seat next to Tyler. The other five glanced at each other before Brian spoke up.

"What if it's your savior?"

"I still don't even know what actually happened. For all I know, he was a figment of my imagination. Someone my terrified child mind created to save me from the dark and scary forest. Even if he was actually there, it was a long time ago. It's in the past. He wouldn't still be here after all these years... Let's just eat-"

Thunder boomed as the storm outside started to pour down from the heavens. All six friends looked out the windows in confusion.

"Uhh... Is it just me or did the rain literally come out of nowhere?" Anthony asked furrowing his eyebrows. Evan shrugged as he started to eat his plate of spaghetti. The others joined in eating their dinner as they settled down. After everyone finished and all the plates were washed, they all went upstairs to the family room to play some games.

"I can't believe your parents left these game consoles when they moved to the city," Brian said as he touched the ancient gaming consoles as if they would break with the slightest pressure.

"They thought it'd be better if we got updated consoles in the city and left old ones here. You guys up for a movie?" Evan asked as he riffled through the shelf of movie DVDs. He yelped as a book fell down from the top shelf right in front of him. Everyone looked at him with worried eyes.

"What fell? How did it fall?" Brock asked as he checked the shelf for any instabilities or faulty structure.

"It was just a book... Wait."

"What is it?" Luke asked.

"I've never seen this book before. I thought all of them were moved into the study... _Diary of Delirious_. Who's Delirious?"

"Maybe he lived here before your family moved here." Brian guessed.

"We should read it! I want to learn about this Delirious guy and what he did here!" Evan said sitting down on the couch. The others glanced at each other before taking a seat on the couch next to the boy and the book.


	4. ~•3•~ The Diary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys read the mysterious diary that they found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't you ever wonder why people read the diaries of dead people? I'm pretty sure they wouldn't appreciate everyone that has literally read into their life.

_I was told to write in this journal by the old man. Why? I haven't had the slightest clue. He said something about it helping to keep my mind in check. I had absolutely no clue what he means by that. He's telling me to remind myself of who I am. So here it goes._

_My name is Jonathan Dennis. I go by the name of Delirious nowadays since everyone calls me that. It was all because of one small accident too. I'd rather not go into it too much._

_I'm a man of honesty. I distrust those who I can't understand... But the old man is another story. Even when I can't understand him, he's always telling me more about myself. It's like he knows everything about me. It's unnerving. Disturbing._

_Yet calming. Figuring out just who I am exactly. Who I could become. It makes the world easier to take on. I own my entire life to him right as of now. He's an old man, I'm not going to let him die easily. Even with these creatures hiding within the forest._

"Creatures? What's in the forest that would kill a man?" Tyler asked glancing out the window behind him.

"I'm not too sure of it myself. I always thought it was just wild animals. Not sure what creatures he's talking about." Evan replied before continuing.

 _It's been a couple of weeks_ _since_ _I started this journal. Every day for the past weeks, I've been reminding myself of who I am. Jonathan Dennis. Delirious. Jonathan. Delirious. Jon. Delirious. Delirious._

_The old man has been getting sicker lately. I know it's because of those creatures. He said that they can't do such things, but I would disagree. After all, they took my sanity._

_They're always popping up everywhere outside the house. In the backyard. On the porch. Outside the window sills. Behind trees._

_And I think I might have let one in on accident. I swear it was an accident! I didn't mean to leave the window open that night. I didn't even think they could come into the house! I check in on the now bedridden man every single minute just to make sure it didn't make its way into his room._

_When I went to go check on him, it was there. Standing in the corner of the room. Watching my every movement. The old man simply smiled and waved me over to him. I cautiously made my way over and sat in the nearby chair. The shadow tilted it's head and trudged closer to us._

_"Delirious, meet Ivan. I've accepted him as my son in law. His wife is my daughter you see. They met long ago before you arrived here. My daughter... She died from a mysterious incident. She was traveling through the forest one day when she disappeared. Later her body turned up, pale and stiff near the riverbed. It's still unknown as to what resides in the forest, but whatever it is, it killed her. Ivan here has brought to my attention that she had been pregnant with his child before the unfortunate event. The child is alive and inherited most of his mother's traits. The boy is a human that has the abilities of the supernatural._

_"Del, I need you to take care of this kid. My son and his wife were willing to take him on, but they haven't the slightest clue about his biological father. Ivan can't take care of him because of what he is. His species isn't the kindest of creatures. Ivan, bring the child to me. I want to say hello before I pass on."_

_The shadow stepped forward and revealed a small bundle of blankets and gently passed the bundle to the old man. From the bundle a small face and hands were visible. I stared at the small infant as he giggled and squirmed in the old man's arms. The old man smiled softly and tears piled up in his eyes. He wiped them before turning back to Ivan._

_"What's his name?"_

_There was a moment of silence before a whisper so quiet that Delirious had to strain his ears to catch responded._

_"Evan."_

_The old man nodded and looked back down to the child. The baby reached up and patted the man on his cheek and bubbled with laughter._

_"Come here, Del."_

_I was confused when he began to pass the child over to me. What did he want me to do?_

_"Hold him, you dolt."_

_I reached out and gently took the bundle of joy into my arms. Brown doe eyes looked into my icy blue ones. The baby babbled and reached his hand up to me. I held out my finger and let him grab it with his tiny hands. The baby continued to babble as if he was talking and I kept on nodding as if I understood. The old man smiled before he slowly closed his eyes. I looked up at him and realized it was his time now._

_"Please. Take care of Evan. Ivan will help you within the shadows and darkness."_

_I nodded as I grabbed his hand with my free hand. He squeezed it and smiled._

_"Son, you've truly changed. Don't let anybody else tell you otherwise..." he said as he let out his last breath. I felt the baby squirm and looked down at him. The baby frowned as he cooed at me and waved a hand in the direction of the old man. I shook my head this time and the baby babbled softly and patted my face where I was unknowingly crying._

_"I'll protect him. I promise, no matter what happens, I'll protect him. Even in the afterlife, I'll protect you, Evan_. _"_

Evan shifted nervously as he flipped the page and saw some more writing, but it ends shortly after it.

_Evan's new parents have arrived. They don't seem to like me one bit. You know what? No. They don't like me at all. They took Evan from me a little too quickly leading to Evan crying in fear. They looked at me with disgust before promptly kicking me out of the house. Ivan lurked in the shadows, seething at the two before popping up in the shadows of the forests._

_How dare they! I swore I would protect him. But I never said anything about his parents. They can go to hell. Ivan can't seem to be able to see his son since one or the other seems to always be around him._

_I'm currently residing in the forest, but I feel something watching me. I may not have any longer to live, but I'm not about to go down without a fight._

_It's been a couple of months since I've been kicked out of my own house. I know that creature has been watching me those entire time. It's watched long enough. I know it'll attack at any moment. I'm going to have one final visit to little Evan before I go._

_The last thing I have to say is that this creature will watch you and observe before it attacks. It learns about its prey and makes sure it knows every darn weakness you have. However, as long as you stay out of the forest, you'll be safe. I apologize to Evan for not being able to watch him grow up and to protect him._

_I'm sorry._

Evan turned the page only to be met with a photo. A strangely familiar old man sat on the bed smiling as a man in a blue hoodie sat next to the bed holding a baby. The baby was reaching up and patting the man's cheeks. Evan then noticed a black shadow behind the old man.

"Isn't that you, Evan?" Tyler inquired as he burrowed his eyebrows.

"Yeah... It is... That's my grandfather... I don't know who that is though." Evan replied pointing to the old man then glancing at the man in blue.

"He's the owner of the diary!" Brian yelled out as thunder boomed in the distance.

"Makes sense... But if this diary is telling the truth, then that shadow is Evan's biological dad. And his real parents..."

"Aren't his actual parents." Anthony finished Brock's statement. Everyone sat in stunned silence as they processed the news.

"OK... I'm fine with the parent thing, but what about that creature in the forest? If that's what killed Delirious, wouldn't it hurt us?" Evan said closing the book and placing it down.

"What? You're completely fine with your dad being a supernatural being? How are you not having a mental break down right now?" Brian asked looking at him incredulously. Evan shrugged as he twiddled his thumbs.

"It explains why I can see ghosts and other stuff."

"You can see ghosts???" Everyone asked as Evan smiled sheepishly.

"Guess I never told you guys..."

A crash from downstairs startled everyone. No one moved as the noises downstairs continued, gradually getting closer and closer to where the staircase was. The boys all glanced at each other before they stood up. With Evan in the lead, they walked over to the railing overlooking the stairs. Evan gasp and pushed the others back as he saw it.

"What? What is it?" Luke whispered frantically as Evan shook in fear. The younger looked up at him and quietly answered.   


**_"It's a monster..."_ **


	5. ~•4•~ The Guardian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monsters they never imagined existed make themselves present before the boys. 
> 
> Evan meets someone he knew of but never truly interacted with before and Brock threatens a spirit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to make these chapters longer :D

"It's a monster..."  
  
Evan quickly jumped up and rushed everyone to head to their rooms. They complied without hesitation seeing as their usually composed friend was actually panicking.  
  
"We shouldn't split up. Let's all go to Evan's room and stay there until it's gone." Luke said as they quietly made their way to Evan's room. Everyone nodded as Evan glanced back occasionally to see if it was following them. As soon as the door was locked and everyone was safely inside, they all let out a shaky breath of relief.  
  
"How would we know if it's gone? It's not like we can send someone out there to check it out. That's just plain stupidity at its finest." Brock said as he looked around the room.  
  
"Evan can see ghosts, I bet he can talk to them. How about it? Are there any ghosts around that you can talk to?" Anthony asked looking at the raven head expectedly. Evan sighed as shook his head.  
  
"Just because I can see them doesn't mean I can talk to them. It's not like I can just talk to them out of nowhere and not look crazy. Plus, ghosts don't usually approach people let alone someone who can see them."  
  
"Could you at least try? Like that ghost that Tyler told you about at your apartment? Or the man in the blue hoodie that I saw earlier?" Brock asked as Evan's will wavered. He glanced at the others to see them all giving him a pleading look. He sighed again before looking out the window down at the empty backyard.  
  
"If you're here uhh... Delirious. Can you help us with the monster?" Evan asked looking around the backyard and his room. When no one answered he frowned and shook his head at his friends.  
  
"It was worth a shot," Brian said patting Evan on the back. Evan was about to say something when all the lights turned off. The group huddled together and looked around in caution. The door handle jiggled slightly, the sound of the lock being picked resounded throughout the room. They all held their breaths as the door opened.  
  
There were multiple of them. 3 to be exact. Disfigured bodies with limbs bent at awkward positions. They had no eyes. Just a mouth with sharp teeth similar to how a shark's mouth appeared. They entered the room one by one, seemingly sniffing the area and trying to locate them. As they got closer to the group, they started to growl. Evan used his hand to cover up his breathing, but as one of the monsters had gotten up close to him, lightning lit up the room.  
  
The monster roared as it grabbed the screaming Evan by his leg, pulling him forward and out of the group. The other two monsters heard their third and also advanced on Evan. Tyler and Luke grabbed Evan's arms and tried pulling him back, but Evan slipped out of their hold and dragged to the door. The other two monsters grabbed him by his arms restraining him. All together they lifted him up and carried him out of the room, his screams of fear echoing down the hall.  
  
The group snapped out of their scared daze and rushed to follow the monsters and friends. They followed until they reached the backyard where the monsters took Evan into the dark forest, his pleading eyes looking back at them in fear.  
  
A moment of silence filled with the pouring rain passed by.  
  
"What the hell are we doing?! We have to go after them and save Evan!" Brock yelled as he surged forward only to be halted by Brian.  
  
"We can't go in there without knowing where the hell we need to go! Do you really want to get lost in the forest with no help for miles? If we go missing, then who will help Evan?"  
  
"Goddammit!" Brock screamed in frustration. He turned towards the forest and glared.  
  
"Delirious! I swear to God if Evan dies, I'll make sure your next life is a living hell! Live up to your word and save him! Bring him back!"  
  
Brock panted as he continued to glare into the forest. A blue jacket fluttered in the darkness of the forest before disappearing as if it were never there. Then an icy chill ran down everyone's back as a dark voice resonated through the air.  
  
_"I was going to save him even if you didn't tell me to. After all, I promised him."_  
  
The wind picked up around them, spraying water into their faces. When they opened their eyes, a transparent blue figure stood at the edge of the backyard. Its eyes glanced at them before turning around and started into the forest. A sudden noise to the left of the group made Anthony jump.  
  
"Alright. Time to head inside before more of those creatures come back..." he said as he dragged Brock back into the house. The younger frowned as he stood at the kitchen window staring into the forest. The others sat at the island drinking shots of the cider they found in the cupboards.  
  
Meanwhile, Evan was struggling to break free of his captors' grip. He yelled for help, but it was in vain. Of course, no one would be around to hear his cries for help. Tears streamed down his face as he was carried through the forest. It must have been over half an hour before the monsters had set him down into a strangely familiar tree. The monsters scattered away as he tried to calm his senses.  
  
Looking around, there was nothing but trees. The hollow tree he sat in was big enough to fit his entire body in, so he curled into a ball and hugged his knees, shivering from the cold of the rain. He shut his eyes and pondered exactly why he was taken. Why him? Of course, he would rather be taken then one of his friends, but he still has to question why they took him. It could just all be a coincidence.  
  
Evan's thoughts were interrupted by a loud growl from the outside of the tree. He gulped as he made himself as small as possible and pressing himself into the shadows. That's when an intangible hand was placed in his shoulder. Evan jumped away as the shadow hand stayed where it was. Evan blinked as his eyes adjusted the dark.  
  
"You're..." Evan whispered as the shadows began to form a humanoid figure. Glowing white eyes stared back at him.  
  
_**"Evan."**_  
  
"...dad?"  
  
The shadow nodded and reached its hand up to Evan's head. It strokes his hair softly, but Evan only felt air ghost over his head. Like the hand wasn't solid. He stared at the shadow and smiled.  
  
"It's nice to finally meet you. I always wondered who was creeping around in the shadows. Turned out just to be you."  
  
The shadow silently nodded slowly. A large resounding growl shook the air before them. Ivan retreated into the shadows as Evan backed into the tree as far as he could. He held his breath as the ground shook after every step the monster took.  
  
Then it stopped. Evan, with his eyes closed, tried his hardest to hear any noise. Then he opened his eyes.  
  
A yellow eye with a red pupil stared back at him. The drizzling rain barely heard as it hit the monster's back and rolled down his fur. Hot air hit him as the creature let out a breath.  
  
It smelled like blood.  
  
Evan sat petrified by the beast. What was he to do in this kind of situation? Run? Nope, he would run right into it. Hide? It was literally looking at him with glowing eyes. Fight? Not when he was shivering from the cold. Not to mention the creature was at least tenfold his size.  
  
The creature blinked and retreated his head back. Evan watched the entrance, trying not to miss anything that would occur. A long-tail rested at the opening as the movement of the creature stopped. Evan waited a few moments more before looking around the area for any danger. A soft, deep growl resounded from the back of the tree. Evan assumed that the creature had curled itself around the tree he was in and was resting. Evan breathes out a sigh of relief. From the shadows, Ivan reappeared and tilted his head.  
  
"Do you know what's happening? What were those... Things... That brought me here? Why was I brought here?" The shadow shook his head and looked down at the dirt.  
  
**_"Fault. Mine."_**  
  
The shadow made its way to the entrance of the hollowed tree. It stretched its hand out and rested it on the tail of the creature. As the hand caressed the tail in a circular motion, a low rumble came from the creature. As if it was purring. Ivan turned his glowing white eyes back to Evan.  
  
**_"Guardian. Protect you."_**  
  
"So this creature... Is some sort of guardian... That came to protect me?" Evan asked trying to make sense of his biological father's broken speech. Ivan nodded. Evan nodded before tilting his head.  
  
"Then what about those creatures? The ones the brought me here?" Ivan shook his head.  
  
**_"Evil beings. Sacrifice."_**  
  
"Those things brought me here... As a sacrifice? To an even greater evil being than them, I'm assuming?"  
  
A nod.


	6. ~•5•~ The Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evan makes small talk with his biological father. His friends meet a special someone. Delirious fights the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while, and I apologize for taking so long to update! Hope you enjoy this chapter :D

Evan shivered at the thought of being sacrificed to whatever entity those monstrous creatures were working under. He started as the 'Guardian' shifted its position before settling once more. Ivan watched as his son fidgeted in fear and unease. He felt guilty enough for the death of his dear Elizabeth, he didn't want the burden of his only son's death on his shoulders. Just as Ivan was about to say something, he noticed a shift in temperature. Evan shivered as a cold breeze passed by, curling up to try and keep warm.  
  
Ivan knew who had just arrived, but he also knew that he wasn't going to let Evan see who he was. Ivan mentally sighed in frustration at his only friend. He was stubborn, that's for sure. Evan glanced at his father with a questioning look before asking a question that's been on his mind for a while now.  
  
"So... Jonathan? Delirious? Who is he anyway?" Ivan had to think about the answer for a bit. Who is the man that is known as Delirious and what is his relationship with Evan? What did the person in question think their relationship was? Ivan knew that it had to do with Elizabeth's father, his own father-in-law. He still didn't know the full story as to how the two met. Something must have happened between the two that made Delirious devoted to keeping Evan safe for the old man.  
  
But what could have transpired?  
  
 _ **"Not sure... Something with your grandfather."**_ Ivan settled with that simple answer. It didn't answer it nor did it call for more detail. It was just that. An answer.  
  
"I see. I kind of... Found his diary? Journal? And I read it with my friends before getting kidnapped and everything. He slowly started to talk like he was indebted to grandfather halfway through. He's protecting me in place of grandpa as some kind of favor. I've seen both you and him around my apartment back in the city, so he's not tied down to the place he died at." Evan said trying to piece together the puzzle known as Jonathan Dennis.  
  
A loud inhuman scream resounded around the area. It was strong enough to make the leaves of the trees shake. Evan had to cover his ears and curl into a ball while Ivan simply stared at the opening of the hollers tree. The guardian reacted badly to the scream as it growled and shifted itself while still keeping the entrance hidden. Ivan took one last look at his precious son before sinking back into the shadows.  
  
  
  
"What the hell is that?!" Tyler yelled as the scream reached the house. He, Brock, and Brian huddled close together near the door in case anything else tried to get into the mansion. Anthony and Luke glared outside the window at the dozens of birds flying out of the forest.  
  
"I don't know, but I swear if Evan doesn't come back alive and in one piece I'm going to obliterate whatever hurt him," Brock growled as Brian swallowed in unease.  
  
"Y'know, right 'bout now I would've said somet'ing about not believing t'at t'ere's actual monsters in t'e forest, but I saw what t'ose... T'ose _t'ings_ looked like." Brian said with a shaky voice. Luke nodded in agreement but was quick to notice movement in the corner of his eye.  
  
"What's that?" He asked out loud as everyone looked in the direction he was looking at. In the corner of the room stood a lady. She was slightly transparent and appeared to be dripping wet. However, nothing around her seemed to get wet. She had chocolate brown hair and golden eyes that seemed to glow. Looking closer at her facial features, she seemed to be of Asian descent and had a sharp edge to her eyes.  
  
Just like Evan.  
  
 _"Hello. What brings you to my late father's house?"_ She asked tilting her head as she drifted closer to them. Brock glanced at the others to see them just as frozen as he was. The lady waited for an answer for a couple of minutes before frowning. She disappeared only to reappear before Brian who yelped.  
  
 _"I ask one more. What are you doing in my late father's house?"_  
  
"W-we're here to accompany a friend of ours. This is his family's summer house, but his parents wanted to visit some of their family, so they left us here to spend our winter break." Tyler responded as he slowly made his way in front of Brian.  
  
 _"Friend? And who might that be?"_  
  
"His name is Evan. Evan Fong-"  
  
Tyler was cut off by a gasp from the lady. She brought her hand up to her mouth to stop her cries, but she started sobbing. She tried to wipe the tears away, but they continued to fall from eyes and disappeared into thin air.  
  
 _"Evan! My dear baby, Evan! Where is he?!"_ She asked with a worried expression on her face. Her concern for Evan grew as she took in the grim expressions of the group.  
  
"I'm going to assume that you're his biological mother... Evan was sort of... Kidnapped? Some weird creatures rushed in and took him out into the forest. Then Delirious went to save him." Luke said as he scratched the back of his head. She stood frozen for a moment trying to process what he had just said. Then she started to flicker. Her appearance would be dropping wet one moment then pale and still another moment. She would also look like she was alive with tan skin and blushed cheeks. The final image of her before she disappeared from sight was of her with completely black eyes with dark tear stains on her face and a sickly pale skin tone. No one said a thing as she vanished. They glanced at each other and back to the spot she was just at.  
  
"Uh, what now?"  
  
  
  
"Dad? Oh my God, please don't tell me he left me here alone... Dad!" Evan called out from within the covered tree. He could tell that the guardian right outside was still on edge and tense from the scream. He didn't want to keep calling out to his dad and distract the creature, so he went into a corner and sat as still as possible while mumbling under his breath.  
  
"Delirious mentioned something in his diary about a creature. He said something about it learning weaknesses... But so long as we stayed away from the forest, we'd be safe...? Doesn't that mean-"  
  
His thoughts were interrupted as the guardian shifted once more. He sat in absolute silence, fearing that making a sound would lead to his death. His uneven short breaths were loud in the eerie quiet. He glanced at the entrance and found reassurance in the tail that was still present.  
  
A sudden screech echoed from the surrounding forest. Evan sat still in hopes that the screams would stop soon. Even the guardian was getting irritated with the bursts of sound judging from the growls and flick of the tail. What Evan didn't know was that there was a fight against the unknown right outside the tree.  
  
  
  
 _"I won't let you hurt him."_ The glowing blue, transparent figure whispered as he stared down at the little sapling surrounded by darkness. The sapling then started growing rapidly into a humanoid shape and stared back with its black holes.  
  
It raised a limb and shot black, decaying leaves at the figure only for it to go straight through him. The figure simply grinned psychotically and chuckled loudly. It glared down at the tree creature with hatred and amusement.  
  
 _"Sorry, but you can't kill what has already been killed."_  
  
With a snap of his fingers, he summoned blue balls of fire. Each ball of flame went to surround the now fidgeting forest creature. The ghost gave one last chuckle before clenching his fists and lighting the tree monster aflame. The creature let out an earth-shaking screech as it tried to put itself out. Not even the rain could stop the fire as it continued to burn. As soon as it turned to ashes, the ghost grabbed onto the light that floated above where the creature died and absorbed it. As the transparent man was about head out, a voice resounded around him.  
  
 **"You can't stop me from getting his soul. After all, you couldn't stop me from taking your own, Delirious."**  
  
 _"Jokes on you, bitch. That was your mistake. Now you can't stop me at all."_  
  
That was all he said as he flew off in the direction of the hollowed tree and guardian. He heard the guardian's growl as he neared the tree and caught a glimpse of the opening of the entrance. He hovered in front of the guardian's face as he looked towards where the guardian was looking.  
  
There stood a very tall creature without eyes. Had long limbs that could easily help it reach the top of the tallest trees in the forest. Its mouth was full of sharp and crooked teeth that were covered in specs of blood. It took big, long steps towards the giant tree.  
  
Before it could take another step forward, however, another ghost appeared right in front of it. It was the same lady from the mansion, but no one there would have known.  
  
 _"Where. Is. My. EVAN?!"_ She screamed hysterically as the rain poured harder than it already was. The creature ignored the angry ghost as it took another step forward only for the leg to be cut off with a wave of water.  
  
 _"DON'T YOU DARE HURT HIM!"_ She screamed letting out multiple water waves that slashed through the creature. Delirious took this chance to infuse some of the waves with his fire. The creature screeched as the flaming water slashes cut straight through its limbs and catching its skin on fire. It fell to the ground in pieces and on fire. Delirious smirked as he watched the creature who murdered him and many others burn to a crisp.  
  
 _"Serves you right."_  
  
The many sounds that were trapped within the monster were freed. One soft blue soul floated over to Delirious and entered him. Delirious sighed in relief as his soul returned to him. Delirious then turned to the lady and tilted his head. After processing her looks and words from before, he jolted in realization.  
  
 _"You're Elizabeth."_ He said as the other turned to him. She nodded confidently while glaring at the ghost before her.  
  
 _"How do you know?"_ She asked.  
  
 _"I'm a friend of Ivan's."_  
  
Her eyes lit up with glee after she heard that. She vanished and reappeared next to him, looking him up and down.  
  
 _"So you're the Delirious that my pops was taking care of..."_  
  
 _"That's me alright."_  
  
"Dad? Are you there?"  
  
Both the ghosts froze when they heard the voice of the boy they were protecting. Elizabeth glanced at Delirious as he shook his head and waved her off. She didn't hesitate to rush over to the tree. She peaked over the top of the tail and nearly broke into more tears as she saw her son cowering in the corner of the hollowed-out area. His face had a mixture of confusion and fear written on it. She was about to head in when a shadow grabbed her hand.  
  
 _ **"Elly."**_  
  
 _"Ivan! Let me see our son, please! It's been so long since last I've seen him!"_  
  
Ivan nodded his head but brought her into his chest for a hug.  
  
 _ **"Not yet. First. Bring home."**_  
  
She knew that they should probably bring him back to her father's house first, but she just wanted to see her son's face after the 16 years since her death. She frowned and sniffed before nodding, snuggling closer to her husband's chest. Ivan rested his chin on her head as he ran his fingers through her wet, yet oddly soft, hair. They parted after a short moment. Elizabeth stared at the tree with longing before turning in the direction of the house, taking what was left of the storm with her. After she disappeared, Ivan shifted through the shadows and entered the hallowed tree where his son was waiting.  
  
"Dad! What happened?" Evan asked as soon as his dad appeared from the shadows.  
  
 ** _"Forest. Defeated. Safe now. Return."_** Ivan said as he held out a hand for Evan to grab. Evan grabbed on to his father's hand only to be dragged out of the tree. He stumbled but managed to stabilize himself. Once he stood up straight, he looked up and saw something he thought he'd never see in his life. There before him lay a majestic mythical creature, a dragon. But it wasn't just your regular reptilian dragon. It had the head of an eagle, the wings had to at least be 20 feet long each. It stared down at Evan with sharp eyes.  
  
 **"So this is your child, Ivan."** A voice within his head said. Evan connected the voice to the creature in front of him without another thought.  
  
 _ **"Yes."**_  
  
After staring at the young boy another moment longer, the eagle dragon turned its head towards the top of the tree. A small hoot was heard before a significantly smaller creature flew down from the foliage. It was another dragon, but an owl by the looks of it. It clumsily flew down, failing to get stable and plummeted to the ground. Evan yelped as he ran and caught the small creature before it could hit the ground. Evan looked down at the owl as it stared up at its savior.  
  
"You saved me! Thank you so much mister half-bred!" The small owl said as it flapped its wings and flew on top of Evan's head. Evan, full of confusion, let him as he turned back to the dragon watching the interaction with soft eyes full of mirth.  
  
 **"That young one was found not too long ago. The inhabitants of the forest are not welcoming of foreign creatures entering their territory. Everyone treats him as an outcast. Son of shadows and lady Elizabeth. Would you be willing to take young Vanoss under your wings?"** The eagle dragon asked as Vanoss tilted its head. Evan glanced from the creature, now named Vanoss, to the dragon, and to his dad who was waiting patiently.  
  
Evan knew what it's like to be treated as an outcast. Like you're not welcomed. In fact, it wasn't until he met Brock in middle school did he feel like he fit in more than he thought. Even his parents hadn't made him feel welcomed. That's how he figured that they probably weren't his true parents.  
  
That and the fact he overheard them one night.  
  
He didn't want anyone- anything - to feel like he did once.  
  
"Of course! But... How will I explain to my 'parents' that I'm keeping him?" Evan asked as he glanced at his biological father.  
  
 **"Ah, yes. The two ignorants. Let your true parents deal with them."** The dragon said rolling its eyes.  
  
Evan simply nodded as the dragon lowered its head down to the ground. Evan was confused for a moment before a nudge made him realized that the being wanted him to climb on. He hastily climbed onto the creature's neck and nearly fell off as the mythical being took off into the sky. Evan grabbed onto Vanoss and the dragon's neck firmly, but not hard enough to hurt them. Ivan rolled his eyes as he hid in his son's shadows. He glanced down to where two figures, one pale blue, and the other pinkish-white, were following them.  
  
  
  
"The storm is over..." Anthony whispered glancing out the window.  
  
"But Evan isn't back yet," Brock grumbled.  
  
Luke sighed as he continued to look out the back door into the forest. It's been a couple of hours since everything has gone down. Him, Brian, and Anthony felt guilty that they couldn't do anything for the close friend of their friend. They were equipped to deal with shadow people. Not some weird wendigo creatures.  
  
"What's that?" Brian asked as he narrowed his eyes at the silhouette in the sky. The others gathered around him and gazed off in the direction he was looking at. The incoming flying figure was coming closer and closer with no sign of stopping or slowing down. It was too fast for the group to react before the thing landed in the backyard with a rush of air. The group was pushed back into the kitchen by the sheer force of the wind and landed with a thud. They frantically helped each other stand up and looked at what had just landed in the backyard.  
  
"What. The actual. Fuck." Tyler said as he looked up at the eagle dragon creature. The creature stared back in amusement. A groan was heard from on top of the creature and ahead of raven hair popped up.  
  
"That was awesome!" Evan said as he looked up from the dragon's feathery mane. He looked down and saw all of his friends.  
  
"Oh! Guys!"  
  
"Evan!"  
  
Evan slid down from the creature's neck, Vanoss still in his arms. He let the owl go as he was tackled by Brock and Tyler. Luke, Brian, and Anthony hanging back watching in relief and caution. Evan hugged them back with as much emotion as they did. Vanoss didn't like being ignored and let out a loud screech which scared everyone there. Then when he saw the chance, he flew back into Evan's arms. Evan chuckled sheepishly as he pets the owl on its beak.  
  
"Alright. Do we get an explanation or what?" Luke asked as he glanced at the feathered dragon and back at his friend. Evan scratched his head and frowned.  
  
"I'm not sure if I'll be able to give a good explanation myself..." Evan said as he made his way to the patio. He took a seat at the table and let Vanoss sit in his left shoulder. The others gathered around the table and waited for the boy to gather his head around the events that just happened.  
  
"So, those monsters took me into the forest. They took me back to the same hallowed tree I was in when I was 5. Then the guardian appeared in all its glory, bloody teeth, and everything. My biological dad appeared and disappeared, screams echoed all around, and then I met both the guardian and little Vanoss." Evan said as he rubbed Vanoss's beak. Vanoss crooned as he pushed up against the warm hand. All his friends were dumbfounded and at a loss of words.  
  
"Wait, so you don't know about anything? Not even what the creatures wanted from you?" Brock asked.  
  
"From what my dad told me, they wanted to sacrifice me to a greater being. And before you ask, the greater being has been killed. By who? I'm not too sure, but I have a feeling it was Delirious."  
  
 _"It wasn't just him!"_


End file.
